6 replies to this topic

[Lugh]

Even with the 40% buff to velocity many of the inner sphere mechs receive they are still being dodged at 900+ meters like they are dodge balls.

This shouldn't be possible. It's no wonder laser vomit is still so key as one can nudge the skill-less laser just a little to get and keep most of its damage on target at those long ranges. Not to mention its INSTANT damage on target as opposed to the travel time now on PPCs being 1.4-1.5 seconds to max range. That's terrible. The velocity should equal the max range so its 1 second to damage.

That will allow them to compete with wand warriors that just lathe damage on to your mech at max range and then hold for effect. And it won't be overwhelming since most mechs (minus all the clan mechs) are done there burn and twisting at less than .85seconds.

[B L O O D W I T C H]

With 40% velocity, ppcs need about 0,7 seconds to reach max range. your calculation is way off.

besides, maxrange of ppc is 1080 meter, unbuffed velo is 1100 meter per second...

Lugh, on 20 January 2016 - 05:26 PM, said:

The velocity should equal the max range so its 1 second to damage.

Math, do you do it?

[Fox With A Shotgun]

Lugh, on 20 January 2016 - 05:26 PM, said:

Not to mention its INSTANT damage on target as opposed to the travel time now on PPCs being 1.4-1.5 seconds to max range. That's terrible. The velocity should equal the max range so its 1 second to damage.

ERPPCs = 1200m/s, 810m optimal - 1620m max range. That's ~0.66s to get to optimal range, and ~1.33s to get to max range
Standard PPC = 1100m/s, 540m optimal - 1080m max range. That's ~0.5s to optimal range, and ~1s to get to max range, before quirks.

Nothing wrong with the velocities. They're still fairly reasonable to hit with. If you were targeting something small that can accelerate and decelerate very, VERY quickly (like a Locust or Commando), that's probably the reason why you think they're impossible to hit with. And it's even easier in Inner Sphere uberquirked mechs, because the +40-50% buffs that many of them get bring that velocity up even higher. 1200m/s + 50% = 1800m/s, which for an ERPPC makes that optimal distance in less than half a second.

[Troutmonkey]

I'm not sure people realise just how long 1 second is

[XphR]

Troutmonkey, on 20 January 2016 - 10:11 PM, said:

I'm not sure people realise just how long 1 second is

When I was a bad lil pilot, Mom-Comm used to make me sit in the shutdown corner for three hundred of them! I am surprised I was able to survive such cruel protocols.

That being said PPCs are currently in a good middle ground of what was at one time super float ball and a later time much to fast for the damage delivered.

[Troutmonkey]

XphR, on 20 January 2016 - 10:45 PM, said:

When I was a bad lil pilot, Mom-Comm used to make me sit in the shutdown corner for three hundred of them! I am surprised I was able to survive such cruel protocols.

That being said PPCs are currently in a good middle ground of what was at one time super float ball and a later time much to fast for the damage delivered.

I think the main problem with OP PPCs before wasn't that you could hit with them, it was that they weren't hot enough. PPCx2 + Guass used to run really cold, but now the PPCs are just too damn hot for any sort of sustained fire

Edited by Troutmonkey, 20 January 2016 - 10:56 PM.

[B L O O D W I T C H]

Troutmonkey, on 20 January 2016 - 10:56 PM, said:

but now the PPCs are just too damn hot for any sort of sustained fire

100% 10/10

The problem is the heat per second to damage per second ratio.
PPCs have an even ratio and ultimately losing out to all other energy based weapondry (be it clan or IS)
C-Er-PPCs have an even ratio on paper but wasting 33% of the damage every hit by default, that's one way to make a weapon useless.
Er-PPC have even 33% more heat then damage per second, it literally can not compete with any other energy weapon.
You heard me, even the god forsaken flamer gives more damage per heat, i kid you not.

The only energy weapon besides ppcs with a higher heat per second then damage per second ratio is the flamer, and we all know how good flamers are.

Honestly, the decision to transform ppcs into midrange weapons ultimately killed them.
For people who could aim, they were at least useable @ 1km and upwards, cutting the maxrange to 1/2 killed even that gimmicky piece of weapondry.


PGI is flat out telling us to not use PPCs in general.

They are like: "hey we have this large pulse laser here, it has more dps, less hps, instant damage, almost the same cooldown and the same tonnage".
It is an absolute nobrainer.